


Finding Rhythm

by Flynne



Series: Lynnie Amell [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 08:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14930355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flynne/pseuds/Flynne
Summary: Lynnie gave Alistair a nudge with her shoulder. “Come on. Dance with me.”“I don’t know how,” Alistair stammered. Then, trying to hide his sheepishness, he rolled his eyes and said dryly, “Dancing wasn’t exactly on the list of things the revered mothers taught us.”“That’s all right. I know how to dance.”He didn’t resist as Lynnie took his hands and pulled him to his feet, but balked when she tried to lead him forward. “This isn’t going to work,” he protested.





	Finding Rhythm

Quiet strains of music drifted into the night sky, mingling with the smoke from the fire. Leliana’s low humming was barely audible over the sound of her lute, her expression soft and far away. Only the intermittent crackle of burning wood and the steady grating of Alistair whetting the blade of his dagger broke the stillness of the settling night.

Lynnie leaned against Alistair’s shoulder, not bothered by the movements of his arms as he worked. She watched Leliana’s fingers float over the strings as she played. The tune was slow but not sad, and she smiled as the last notes fell still.

“Thank you, Leliana,” Wynne said with a sigh. “That was lovely.”

Leliana looked pleased. “I am happy to play for you.”

Lynnie tilted her head inquisitively. “Leliana, do you think you could play something more…energetic?”

Leliana saw the gleam in her eye, glanced quickly between her and Alistair, and gave a sly smile of understanding. “I think I know a song you’ll like.” Her nimble fingers began to play again - a faster tune, bright and airy.

Lynnie gave Alistair a nudge with her shoulder. “Come on. Dance with me.”

Alistair froze mid-stroke with his whetstone. “I don’t know how,” he stammered. Then, trying to hide his sheepishness, he rolled his eyes and said dryly, “Dancing wasn’t exactly on the list of things the revered mothers taught us.”

“That’s all right. I know how to dance.” Lynnie got to her feet and plucked the dagger and whetstone from him and set them aside.

He didn’t resist as she took his hands and pulled him to his feet, but balked when she tried to lead him forward. “This isn’t going to work,” he protested.

“It’ll be fine! Trust me.” She tugged his hands again.

He took a stumbling step forward, coming to a stop bare inches away from her. “Uh - ”

Lynnie lifted his left hand to rest on her shoulder, keeping hold of his right. She wrapped her right arm around him and placed her palm between his shoulder blades. “Listen to the music,” she said, giving him an encouraging smile. “Count with me. Let me know when you’ve got the pattern of the song.” She counted along softly as Leliana played, waiting for his hesitant nod. “All right, then. Just move your feet with the music and follow me.” She waited another measure and counted them in. Alistair - who could face down an ogre without flinching - gripped her hand nervously and held on as she began to lead.

It was awkward. Alistair was naturally athletic, but his limbs seemed to have turned to wood. His eyes were fixed on his feet; whether he was watching his steps or trying not to pay attention to the rest of the group watching him, Lynnie couldn’t tell. She stopped, looking up at him and giving his hand an encouraging squeeze. “Relax,” she said softly.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I told you I couldn’t dance.”

“You  _really_ can’t,” she said with a wink. Behind her, Leliana kept playing, but softer and slower as she waited for them.

Alistair snorted. “Is  _that_ what you think encouragement is supposed to sound like?”

She laughed, glad that her teasing had had its intended result, having gotten him to respond in kind. “You can do this,” she told him. “Don’t think about what you’re trying to do. Just follow me. You can usually tell how I’m going to move when you’re teaching me to wield a sword. Follow my movements now.” She pressed her hand a little more firmly between his shoulders. “Feel that?”

He stepped close again, eyes locked with hers. “Yes.”

The intensity of his gaze made her catch her breath. Her cheeks warmed, but with an effort, she regained her focus. She moved their joined hands back and forth, creating light tension between them. “And you can feel this?” He nodded. “All right, then.” She guided his hand to her shoulder once more and smiled up at him. “Don’t look at your feet, look at me.”

Lynnie moved again as Leliana resumed playing faster, and this time, Alistair moved with her. It wasn’t smooth, but he did better than he had before. She guided him with her palm on his back and the motions of her arm, and a tentative smile began to show on his face. She gave him a little push and stepped back, raising their joined hands enough for him to turn in a circle below them. He laughed as she reeled him back in, gaining confidence as he adapted to the rhythm of the music.

Leliana moved seamlessly into another song. Zevran rose from his seat by the fire and bowed jauntily. “May I cut in?”

“Of course, my good sir.” Lynnie let go of Alistair and stepped away, reaching out her hand - then burst out laughing as Zevran swept in and caught hold of Alistair, wheeling him away.

Despite Alistair’s yelp of surprise, Zevran still managed to lead him. Alistair hung on to the smaller elf more out of instinct and self-preservation than an attempt to follow him. Before Alistair could recover his wits or try to extricate himself, Zevran had twirled him back to where they had started. He let him go and took Lynnie’s hand in a single quick movement, leaving a stunned Alistair behind.

Lynnie swallowed her giggles as Zevran guided her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wynne get to her feet and start dancing with Alistair before he could step away.

“He wishes you to rescue him, I think,” Zevran said after a few minutes.

Lynnie smirked back at him. “What, rescue him from Wynne?”

Zevran arched a brow. “She is a formidable woman.”

“And I’m not?”

“Oh, you absolutely are, my dear warden,” he replied. He braced one arm behind her, dipping her toward the ground before bringing her back up with a flourish. “But we should intervene for his sake. His performance definitely suffers when he is not dancing with you.” He gave her a sly wink. “He pays much closer attention to the way your body moves than he does for Wynne or myself.”

“Or  _maybe_ I can just lead better than either of you,” Lynnie said archly. Despite her quick reply, Zevran’s unrepentant grin told her that he saw her blush. He didn’t tease her any further, though, but steered her closer to where Wynne and Alistair were dancing.

Lynnie looked back over her shoulder. “Wynne! How about a trade?”

Wynne laughed. “Of course.” She let go of Alistair just as Zevran released Lynnie. Alistair halted awkwardly, but just for a moment before Lynnie caught hold of his hand again. Zevran bowed elaborately to Wynne and spun her gracefully away.

Lynnie put her arm around Alistair, guiding him with her palm on his back once again. “There. This wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I said I  _couldn’t_ dance, not that I didn’t want to,” Alistair said, giving her side a little pinch. She swatted at his hand, but he was too quick for her. He whipped his hand out of reach and gave a smug  _ha_ before putting it back on her shoulder again. “It’s much nicer dancing with you, though.”

She grinned at him. “I know.” She lifted her arm and spun him again, and this time he completed the turn with almost no hesitation. “When your dance partner knows what they’re doing, you’ll be surprised at what you’re able to do.”

“Apparently so,” he said with a chuckle. The mirth faded from his face then, and her steps were thrown off as he moved forward, standing very close and bending to press his forehead to hers. “There are a lot of things I didn’t think were possible before you came along,” he said softly. The gentle adoration in his voice pierced her heart, and she blinked rapidly against the burn of sudden tears. But before she could answer, he went on: “…Like fighting  _giant hordes_  of  _giant spiders_. I  _never_ had to do that before.”

She let out a surprised laugh and thumped him on the back. “We’re dancing and you feel the need to bring up  _spiders?_ ”

“What - Is that bad etiquette for dancing?” he asked, innocent tone belied by the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“It is  _terrible_ etiquette,” Lynnie scolded, mostly succeeding in hiding her smile. Her voice lowered to a murmur as she leaned into him again, lifting herself up on her toes to press her lips softly against his. “But I’m prepared to forgive you.”

Alistair’s answering grin was bright and tender at the same time. “Lucky me.” He wrapped both arms around her in a warm embrace. She hugged him back, resting her head against his chest. Alistair swayed gently from side to side in the cool shadows at the edge of the firelight. His steps were very slow and out of time with the melody, but Lynnie just sighed and closed her eyes, content to follow his lead as he held her close.


End file.
